Resilient heel for footwear.



A. L. RUNYAN.

RESILIENT HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I8. I9I7 RENEWED DEC. 3l, I9l8. l

' Patented Apr. 1,19I9.

ARTHUR' L. E u NYAN, wwmtoz,

GDV-Illu cos:

attenua;

GTO all whom it may concern.'

ARTHUR L. RUNYAN, 0F O, NEBRASKA.

RESILIENT HEEL FOR' FOOTWEAR.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 18, 1917, Serial No. 197,274. Renewed December 31, 1918. Serial No. 269,175.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR RUNYAN, a citizen of the United'States,-residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in ResilientHeels for Footwear, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates-to resilient heels for use on footwear. It is the object of my invention to provide a heel of resilient material, attachable to-any ordinary shoe or boot, and provided with separate, air-cushioned, cupped, anti-slipping and wear-resisting calks extending through the body of the heel and provided with' enlarged inner headportions preventing displacement thereof fromM the heel-body when the latter is in place upon the shoe.

Astructure embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichy Figure 1 is a bottom view of the heel, Fig. 2 is a yplan view thereof, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, including a portion of the shoe to which rthe heel is attached, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The heel shown inthe drawings is .of the form commonly used on mens shoes, and

comprises a body 5 preferably of resilient material such as rubber or rubber composition, having convex curvilinear rear and lateral edges 6 and 7, a concave curvilinear front edge 8, a substantially flat bottom surface 9, and a slightly concave upper surface 10, the latter conforming to the usual shape of the heel-portion A of a shoe-sole. A. lurality of small metal washers 11 are em edded in the body 5V approximately midway between the bottom and top surfaces 9 and 10, lying parallel to saidbottom surface, and

I being near and uniformly spaced'from the edges 6, 7 and 8 of the body. From the bottom surface 9 holes 12 extend vertically to the washers, the same receiving the usual nails B forsecuring the heel to the shoe, the

4nails being driven .to a depth such that heads thereof will engage the washers 11, as

shown in Fig. 3. In the central portion of the heelfbody there are a lurality of calk` receiving openings exten ing through the same from the lower surface 9 to the upper surface 10 thereof. ln thestructure shown' there is a single large opening 13 lying in the plane of the line 3--3 and positioned near the rear edge 6 of the body, and two 8 equidistant laterally from the central longitudinal plane 3,-3. The lower portions of said openings 13 'and 14 are cylindrical and form guiding portions for the calks, and the upper portions thereof are enlarged or belled out to an approximately sphere-segmental form. The calks are formed separately from the body 5 and inserted therein prior to the use thereof. Each calk has a cylindrical lower body or tread-portion 15 and an enlarged or belled head-portion 16, adapting the same to fit snugly within the respective portions of the openings through the body, and the upper edges of the head-portions 16 are shaped to conform with the surface 10 of the heel-body. The upper sides of the head-portions 16 are hollowed out to form air-pockets 17, and the lower ends of the portions 15 extend normally slightly below the lower surface 9, the centers of said lower ends of the portions 15 being preferably slightly hollowed or cupped as shown at 18 in Figs. 3 and 4. vThe calks are formed of resilient material such as rubber, "the tread- The fabric reinforcing terminates below the' bottoms of the air-pockets 17, so that the cup or bell at the upper end of each calk consiste solely of the resilient material, while the lower cylindrical portion is relatively inelastic. A Y

. The heel is preferably secured to the shoe by cement applied to the upper surface 10, in addition to being held by the nails B. When the heel is in place upon the shoe as shown in Fi 3, the air-pockets 17 are closed so that air is confined therein. 1t will be seen that the projecting cupped lower ends of the calks form anti-slipping devices, tending to make thevheel cling to the surface of a Hoor pavement or the like; that the fabric reinforcing makes the calks very durable and wear-resisting, and tends to prolong the life of the heel as a whole; ythat the air confined in the pockets 17 forms ay pneumatic cushion which is in effect interposed between the calk and the shoe; and that the enlarged ent is:

from and not otherwise attached the body 'of the heel.

Now', having described my'invention, what I, claim and desire to secure by Letters P\at 1. A resilient-heel having an openin en- I larged at the upper ortion, and a calk tted in the opening and aving an enlarged upper resilient portion provided with pneu- 19 matic cushion formin means, the lower portion of the calks belng relatively inelastic and guided in the lower portion of the open- 2. A resilient heel having an opening-enlar gled at the upper portlon and rovided at t e lower'portlon with substantia ly verti- ,cal walls forming a guiding'portion and a calk fitted in theppenng'and having an enlarged upper resilientportion provided with 20 pneumatic cushlon forming means, the lower portion of the calk being relatively inelastic` and having vertical side faces guided in the lower portlon of the opening. l

3. A resilient heel comprising a body or-- tion having an opening extending throug it and engaged at the upper portion and having a lower guiding portion and a calk convided with a vertical o ening consisting of a cylindrical lower portlon and a sphero segmental upper portion and a calk having a substantially'cyllndrical lower ortlon and a belled resilient head portion ttlng the enlarged portion of the opening and rovided in its upper facewith a concavity a apted to y -form a pneumatic cushion, the lower portion of the calk being relatively inelastic and guided in the lower r1prtion of the o ening.

UR nn YAN.' 

